The results of a new study indicate a small medical device may reduce eye pressure in glaucoma patients, according to a news release.
The device, which is no larger than an eyelash, may permit some glaucoma patients to stop using eye-drop medications.
The results of a clinical trial for the Hydrus stent mini-drainage device were presented at the 116th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, jointly conducted this year with the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology.
"So far, mini-stents appear to have important advantages in that they allow us to treat open-angle glaucoma at earlier stages and with lower complication risk," said Thomas W. Samuelson, MD, a glaucoma specialist with Minnesota Eye Consultants, who served as the HYDRUS trial's medical monitor, in the release. "If the devices can effectively control intraocular pressure over many years, it would be a real breakthrough in combating this blinding disease."
Related Articles on Ophthalmology:
UAB Launches CDC-Funded Glaucoma Detection Program
Carl Zeiss Meditec Launches New Optical Coherence Tomography Products
Ophthalmologist on the Move: Dr. Lawrence Cecchi Joins NY's Crouse Hospital